Empathy of a Shattered Heart
by iwandamonian
Summary: corny title, i know. anyway...two years after series ended, mysterious girl Kaiya is transported to Gaea. Being an Empath, she hates being around other people but will she be able to change in time to realise the danger everyone is in?
1. Chapter 1

It had been only a few months since Hitomi and Van had decided to let each other go, knowing that they wouldn't be together

It had been only a few months since Hitomi and Van had decided to let each other go, knowing that they couldn't be together. Hitomi, a senior, was standing near the benches, staring out at the sinking sun. She felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and felt guilty about it. About a year ago, a new boy had come to her school, and she had been drawn to him from day one. She had first begun to realise she was in love with him when he had started dating her best friend Yukari, and she had felt sick at heart.

Then, when Amano had come back, Yukari had dropped Chi like a hot iron. Hitomi had felt compelled to ask him out on a date. Things had gone well, and their attraction to each other grew. Soon, Van was completely forgotten, and then, one night after her and Chi's first kiss, she had thought of him.

"_Van,"_ she had said, guilt flooding her veins, "_I really hate to do this but…I-I found someone…Please, I know you're going to be angry but…I-I love him."_

"_It's all right," _Van had replied. _"I understand completely. Besides, this relationship wouldn't have worked out anyway. I live in Gaea and you live on Earth. We'll always love each other, but I'll let you go. Take care, Hitomi."_

"_Thank you, Van,"_ she had whispered and then fallen asleep.

Presently, she felt much better but she still felt some guilt. Suddenly, hands snaked around her waist and she looked up at Chi. He smiled at her, making her stomach flip.

"Hello," he said. "What're you thinking about?"

"Just…memories," Hitomi replied.

"Well, track is about to start. Do you want to watch?"

Hitomi pondered and said, "Yeah, I think I will." She sat down where she stood, Chi close behind. He snuggled up to her and she was glad for his warmth; it was unnaturally cold. Juniors, sophomores and other seniors all walked out onto the track and began stretching. She saw Yukari giving orders to the newies, and smiled. Same old Yukari.

Suddenly, a slender person emerged from the shadows of the benches and stalked towards Yukari. Hitomi wasn't quite sure if it was a girl or a boy; their hair was short, no more than an inch long at the back, and long at the front, covering the eyes. But she did know that the person was completely crazy: they wore a loose fitting singlet and tight black pants. If they intended on running, they would have a hard time.

Hitomi watched with interest as the strange person milled through the crowd, never touching them. They sat with their back turned, and Hitomi saw muscles bulge as the person flex. As if sensing eyes on their back, the person whirled around and looked at Hitomi, pushing the hair from their face. Hitomi gasped as she stared at the girl. Her face was slender, her cheeks sticking out, and her jaw was set in a firm clench. But the thing that startled Hitomi the most was that large bruise that covered all of the left eye and the eyebrow above it.

"Kaiya Fujitano!" called Yukari, checking the clipboard she held. Upon hearing her name, the girl rose to her feet, dropped her hair and took up a starting position. Seven other girls were doing the same thing, and Hitomi watched as Fujitano placed her feet in the blocks. There was something odd about the girl that she couldn't put her finger on.

When the gun went off, Fujitano streaked ahead, leaving the other girls in her wake. She completed the run in 9.8 seconds, a new record for anyone at the school. Hitomi felt her jaw drop, and saw that everyone else was doing the exact same. Fujitano simply looked at them from under her hair, and walked off the track. She only glanced at Hitomi from the corner of her eye and secretly smirked; so her Empathy had been right: Hitomi Kanzaki was a Seer.

Hitomi found Fujitano sitting in the benches, watching the sun. The girl looked confused and scared, and she jumped to her feet when Hitomi had cleared her throat.

"What?" the spooked girl asked, glancing around to see if anyone could hear them.

"I just…I just wanted to congratulate you on your run yesterday," Hitomi said awkwardly. "I never knew that anyone could do it so fast."

Fujitano remained silent, staring at the upper-class man. "Thank you," she said after five minutes of awkwardness had passed. "Who are you?" She didn't mean for it to sound like she was distrusting but life had made her that way.

"I'm Hitomi Kanzaki. And you're Kaiya Fujitano?"

The girl nodded hesitantly.

"Are you all right?" Hitomi asked, sitting down. "Yesterday, I saw the bruise on your face. How did you get it?"

"Attacked," Fujitano said, slowly sitting down beside Hitomi, although she was wary for an attack.

"You were attacked?" Hitomi asked incredulously. "By who?"

"Stepfather," was the short, cautious reply.

"Why?"

"He doesn't like me."

Hitomi felt a great deal of sympathy for this girl. "May I call you Kaiya?" she asked gently.

The girl jumped and then nodded slowly, as if uncertain she could trust anyone. Hitomi smiled and looked out across the track.

"You're a Seer, aren't you?' Kaiya asked suddenly. When Hitomi's head snapped to look at her, she smirked a little.

"How…?" Hitomi asked in disbelief.

"Just knew," Kaiya said mysteriously. She stood up as the bell rang across the yard. She grabbed the corners of her shirt and pulled, revealing the loose singlet Hitomi had seen yesterday. Up close, she saw the well-developed muscles on her arm, and was instantly amazed. Kaiya noticed Hitomi's stare and frowned slightly.

"To protect myself," she explained indifferently.

"It's that bad?" Hitomi asked, also standing up. Even though she was older by two years, Kaiya was three inches taller.

"I got used to it," was the distant reply. The Empath could feel something coming, and it was neither good nor bad. She knew it had something to do with her, and enlightenment came to her: she would run away and never suffer another beating. "It was nice talking to you," she said faintly, looking at Hitomi through her long fringe. "I doubt we'll meet again."

Before Hitomi could ask what she had meant, Kaiya was on the track sprinting through the gate. Chi found her standing, dazed, at the benches and had picked her up, startling her. Her conversation with Kaiya forgotten, she laughed and gave him a small kiss.

Kaiya ran along the dark streets, her breath coming in gasps now; she had been running for nearly three hours, trying to put as much distance between her and her abusive stepfather. Finally, she stopped to catch her breath and clutched her burning sides. She looked up and surprisingly found herself at a shrine with red square wooden archways. It was a secluded area, although she could still see the dim glow of…the school? Hadn't she run in the opposite direction?

_Oh, well_, she thought and sat down on some wooden steps. _At least _he_ won't look here, the moron._ She sighed and hung her head. Why had her mother married such an arse? An abusive arse, at that. Surely she could have found someone better, but that was her mother for you. Kaiya took after her father, quiet, collected and with a red-hot temper that could melt the polar caps. She had lied to Hitomi a little, in saying that she had had to be developed to protect herself.

The truth was that her departed father had been a delinquent in his day, and he had taught her all the tricks. If she told people about that, they would sneer at her and ignore her, leaving her alone. So she had learned to lie, to hide behind a mask of sorrow. Underneath she was ready burst, to hurt her stepfather. She knew she could but she would not sink to his level.

She sighed again and thought, _I need to get away from this world. Anywhere is fine with me, just as long as it's away._

Suddenly, a dazzling white light shot from the sky, engulfing Kaiya fully. She didn't scream or leap to her feet; she just raised her head and looked up as she began to float. Her bag, slung across a shoulder, rose with her, and she closed her eyes. She had gotten her wish, and wasn't going to complain, even if she felt like hurling.

Kaiya sat in the middle of a forest, in the same position she had been at the shrine. She hadn't moved, save for lifting her head. She sniffed the air and could smell rain; she didn't care, though. Even though her face was blank, she was filled with ecstasy at having succeeded in getting away. No one would find her here, except maybe Hitomi. But Kaiya had sensed that the bond between her and this place had dissolved when _Chi_ had come into the picture.

She stood up and dusted her backside off. She then turned and looked up, seeing the moon and Earth hanging in the sky like bright orbs. She grinned and walked through the forest, following a path she didn't even know was there. After half an hour's walk, she came to the edge of a river and saw a dull glow of a town, or a city. She decided to investigate, her mother's curiosity taking over, but the only way she could get to the distant glow was to cross the river, and she knew it wouldn't be warm.

She shrugged and stepped into the water, feeling the chill rush up her leg and make her shudder. She pushed the coldness to the back of her mind, as she did so many other times, and stepped deeper into the river. It was a good thing there were no currents, or she would have been swept away. She paddled across to the opposite bank and hauled herself up out of the water. She shuddered involuntarily and decided to warm up. _Might as well do it the usual way_, she thought lightly and ran towards the dull glow after pulling on her school shirt.

As the hours and kilometres passed, Kaiya began to feel the tiredness creep into her mind. Still, she persevered on, and when the sun began to sneak over horizon, she realised that she only had about two kilometres to go until she reached the city. She realised that it was a proper city, and a large castle was sitting above it on a hill, overlooking the expanses. It was a nice castle, not too overbearing, and it had a pleasant look about, something that made her think of home when both her parents had been alive.

She slowed to a walk and sighed as she realised just how exhausted she was. Running all night was a bad thing, especially after being transported to another world. She walked slower, determined to catch her breath; after relieving herself of a stitch, she walked casually towards the large city, taking in the sights and smells. It seemed peaceful, and as she entered the gates, the people around her bustled around merrily, chatting and greeting each other. They didn't seem to notice her as she glided through the crowd, careful not to touch anyone, as it would set off her empathy. Although, it didn't much matter; she could still feel the emotions of marketers, the air full of life and happiness; she kept her face blank as she walked through the cobbled streets, swept along by the crowds and small children.

She didn't even give a second glance to the humans with animal features, even though it was an odd attribute; she didn't surprise easily, and was glad of it. Suddenly, a group of girls her age came swooping towards her, all dressed in shin length dresses and with bows in their hair.

"Ooh, he's pretty!" one cried, a dark haired beauty with gold earrings. The other girls of her group all agreed and they swarmed Kaiya, pulling her this way and then that way, trying to gain a response; Kaiya was utterly shocked, and began hastily backing out of the group. All the excitement and attraction in the air was making her skittish, and she bolted for any possible exit; she sped through the city, heaving a sigh of relief when the squeals of disappointment from the girls died away, and she slowed to a brisk walk. All around her, the emotions of marketers buzzed around, filling her with heightened emotions of her own; she wandered most of the morning away, watching as everyone laughed and accosted each other.

She was amazed when she realised she was in the shadow of the castle, a shadow cast over the busy streets, and stared up at it in amazement, wondering how long it had taken to build it. Suddenly, someone bumped into her, sending her off balance and she stepped forward, looking over her shoulder; a tall blond man was behind her, wearing a strange outfit consisting of puffed up shoulders and a long blue split vest.

"I am most sorry," he said, bowing to her and smiling. "I didn't see you."

She frowned at him and then shrugged, turning to walk away; she stopped halfway through a step as she saw the horde of girls from before, and they saw her, shrieking and racing towards her; with a startled choked gasp, Kaiya turned around and rushed away through the crowds, leaping over barrels, carts, and even small children. She turned down a small street, which was deserted and sped up as fast as she could; she could still hear those girls behind her, and she sped through the empty street, feeling as if she were flying. This is why she ran, so she could feel this way and not have to worry about anything else…except crashing into people.

The person swore as she collided with them and they rolled down a steep hill; thankfully this street was also deserted, so they only had to worry about crashing into the hard wall. Kaiya lay stunned a few feet from the poor person she crashed into, and she gasped, feeling a stinging sensation in her shoulder; she looked and saw that she had grazed it, her shirt shoulder torn clean off but then her eyes fell on the victim. He was on his face, unmoving, and she was suddenly afraid she had killed him; although, she could feel his anger and confusion as she got closer and sighed with relief.

"What," the man said, "the hell just happened?" Kaiya studied him as he groaned; he had raven coloured hair, and a somewhat tanned skin. He wore a red sleeveless shirt and cream coloured pants with brown boots, and she noticed the gold sword hanging from his waist. Slowly, he pushed up off of the ground and looked at her, his red orbs narrowing with confusion and distaste. Feeling alarmed at his eye colour, Kaiya scurried back, and stopped when her back hit the wall.

"Who are you?" the young man asked. He lurched to his feet, and she noticed that his leg was bleeding; her eyes slowly rose as he staggered towards her, his hand on his sword and she pressed herself against the wall, turning her head away and squeezing her eyes shut. She waited for blow but after a few moments of quiet, she fractionally opened her eyes to see the man squatting down in front of her, regarding her with a quizzical gaze.

"You all right?" he asked and she opened her mouth but no noise came out. She just stared at him, and then he was lost from sight as her fringe flopped down into her eyes. She felt safer with it in front of her eyes, as if it shielder her from all the pain and suffering of her world…but then she remembered she wasn't in her world anymore; she could start again as a different person.

"Um," she said, as she brushed her hair behind her ears, "yeah. You?"

The man sat down and stared at her; even though his face stayed placid, she could feel his confusion, surprise and curiosity. "Yeah," he said.

"S-sorry," Kaiya said, struggling to talk to him. Usually she would just stare at people and they'd give up, but she was determined to make a new life here, wherever here was. "Wasn't looking where I was going."

"Neither was I," the boy admitted. He stayed silent for a minute and then frowned. "Why were you running so fast? Were you trying to escape?"

"Uh, some girls thought I was a boy."

He smirked but his eyes were still sad. "How did they mistake you for a boy?" he asked, frowning at her.

"Uh, I don't know."

"Well, anyway, I'm Van Fanel." He smiled and held out his hand. Kaiya hesitantly took it and frowned when he kept it in his hand.

She shook his hand and then stood up, surprising him at her size; he also stood up, barely an inch higher than her, and stared.

"Are you a visitor?" he asked as she shook her hand out of his grip.

"You could say that," she replied cryptically.

"Where from?"

"Uh…" She needed to think of a lie, and fast but nothing came to mind: his eyes were putting her off. Usually she could just breeze into a lie but his piercing stare was unsettling. "I don't…I…um…"

"What?" Van asked, staring at her with concern. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," she replied, averting her gaze from his eyes. She finally had something to tell him, "I came from a place a long, long way away."

"Ah. Are you here with anyone?"

"No," she replied, clutching her shoulder and leaning against the wall. _Wouldn't want to be either,_ she thought, staring at the sky above his head.

"You all right?" Van asked, stepping closer to her.

"Yeah."

"No you're not; I can see your shoulder bleeding." Kaiya looked at him and then away sheepishly; he sighed and gestured for her to turn around. She did and removed her hand from the scrape; she heard Van sigh and then gloved fingers touched the skin around the wound. "Does it hurt?"

"Stings," she replied shortly. She turned around when he stepped even closer and frowned at him. "It'll be fine," she said lightly, not really caring about such a trivial flesh wound. She gave him a small, almost invisible smile and then slid past him, walking up the steep hill; after a few seconds, she could feel his presence beside her and she looked at him. He was limping slightly, so she slowed her pace for him; he seemed lost in his own world, and she frowned, prying into his emotions. She knew he was depressed, and had been for some time, and that he was also wary of being seen; she wondered why but didn't take too much notice. Then there was the feeling of betrayal, and loneliness, and deep, deep down she felt lust; that surprised her and she jerked when he looked at her.

"What?" he asked, stopping as she did.

With her mouth slightly open, she just stared at him; he frowned and crossed his arms, waiting for a reply. "Uh, nothing!" she said quickly. "I was just…uh, wondering, if you would, um…show me around?" She watched as he frowned but then shrugged.

"Sure," Van said as he proceeded forward, and Kaiya sighed inaudibly, wiping her forehead. She followed him up the hill and then they turned onto the street she had run down. She choked on a gasp as she saw the group of girls standing at the other end, and grabbed Van, pulling him roughly into a doorway.

"What now?" he asked impatiently, but she shushed him and looked around; they were in a small house, made of clay, and it seemed abandoned. Cautiously, she peered around the doorway and hurriedly pulled back as she saw the girls walking rapidly towards her.

"Uh, is there anyway out of this place?" When he pointed to the door, she shook her head. "No, I mean, is there _another_ way out of here?"

"Why?" asked Van also looking out the door; she heard him gasp and then he leapt back. "Uh, there should be a back door. Follow me." The pair ran through another doorway and sighed with relief as they saw a doorway.

"I was sure I saw him slip in here." Kaiya froze, as did Van, and then they were sprinting for the door; as they came out of the house, Kaiya didn't stop in time and stood on the edge of a small ledge. Frantically trying to save herself from falling over, she waved her arms around but that only propelled her forward and she gave a startled shriek as she fell, landing on her face; a second later, Van was beside her, gently dragging her to her feet and pressing her against the wall, a hand over her mouth.

"Did you hear that?" asked one of the girls, and shadows were cast against the ground a few feet in front of the pair. "It sounded like someone shrieked."

"It was probably some tatty girl," another snapped. "Come on, we have to find him before he gets too far away."

The girls retreated, and both escapees sighed; they looked at each other and grinned sheepishly. Kaiya looked around then, noticing that there was a small pathway leading down in windy angles, and she smirked.

"Shall we, Van?" she asked, inclining her head towards the path. Van looked at it and then smirked; he nodded and led the way down. The path was covered in loose pebbles, and Kaiya had a hard time staying upright; her shoes wouldn't grip, as they were worn and tatty, and more than once she fell on her backside. When this happened, Van would smirk and help her to her feet, being the chivalrous type.

"So, where do you want to go?" he asked as they came out between two buildings; there were people sitting outside them, taking in the warm sun, and they stared at the pair.

She shrugged. "Where were you going before I crashed into you?"

"For a walk," he replied simply. "Outside the gates. Do you want to join me?"

"Sure," she said with a shrug, and they walked abreast down the street. As they came out into the main street, everyone turned and looked at them, and Kaiya felt suddenly self-conscious; she wanted to shake her fringe into place, and did so unconsciously. Unbeknownst to her, Van was staring at the people and they slowly turned away, seeing the silent message in his maroon eyes.

"Come on," he said, and took her wrist, dragging her down the street towards the gates. She noticed that he was still limping but if he chose to ignore it, so would she; after all, it was his body. The guards at the gate gave the pair a quizzical look, but one glance from Van and they turned away, talking to passer bys. Kaiya sighed as they made their way to a small hill, green lush grass covering it along with some small flowers. The sky was clear, and she wouldn't have guessed it had rained but a few hours ago; Van sat down on the hill, staring out into the distance; Kaiya stood beside him, wishing he would stop being so depressed. It was dampening her mood, as well as his, and she sighed.

"I usually come here," Van suddenly said. "Just to think and get away."

"Nice place to come to," Kaiya said, stepping forward till she was halfway down the hill. "Nice place all together." Silence ensued again though it wasn't awkward; Kaiya stared out at the distance, thinking that she could get used to living in this world.

"You never told me your name." She turned and looked at Van, who was staring at her curiously.

"Kaiya," she replied, turning fully to face him.

"Kaiya," he tested and smirked. "It sounds foreign, like Hi…" He stopped, and then looked away; she could feel his sadness, and then sighed, coming to sit beside him. She didn't talk and she didn't move but she just sat with him and slowly he looked at her, his eyes slightly wetter than normal. "Sorry," he said.

"Don't be, Van," Kaiya said, almost impatiently. She looked at him, and saw that he was studying her profile. Feeling self-conscious, she stood up and looked around; she stared up at the city and then frowned. "What _is_ this place?" she asked.

"You don't know?" Van asked incredulously. She shook her head, and he frowned. "It's Fanelia."

"Uh-huh," she said and turned around, staring at the horizon. Her eyes roamed the land before her, and they fell on something small and fluffy; it was yellow, and it intrigued her. Walking forward and leaving Van startled, she quickly made her way to the fluffy object; it turned out to be a small kitten, with a mane much like a grown lion's, and she squatted down before it, staring at it with intrigue. She jumped when a gloved hand fell on her shoulder and looked up at Van, who was staring at the kitten. It mewed and then stood up on shaky legs, slowly creeping towards Kaiya's leg.

"What is it?" she asked as it collapsed in front of her. Tentatively, she picked it up and held it up to eye level, examining it quizzically.

"What do you mean, what is it?" She looked up at Van, who squatted down beside her. "It's a baby cat, and it looks like it was abandoned."

Kaiya's gaze returned to the creature; it was thin, and its eyes were closed. It was so small, no bigger than the palm of her hand and she frowned, gently stroking its velvety fur; it croaked and opened its eyes, staring at her with bright green orbs. "It likes you," Van said, smirking and stroking it.

"I think it likes food better," Kaiya retorted tartly, and sat down on her behind, keeping the cat in her lap. She took off her bag and opened it, fishing around for her food she had packed back on Earth. She brought out the small container, and opened it, wrinkling her nose at the fishy smell. The cat's ears perked up as she tore free some tuna and held it in front of its nose; slowly, it began licking it and then opened its mouth to bite it. After it finished the sliver, she broke free another bit and it consumed that, faster than the first. It suddenly burped, and Kaiya smiled; she reached for her water bottle and cupped her hands so the liquid would stay there. The baby cat lapped up the water quickly, and she refilled her palm; it only drank half of it, and then lay down between her legs, purring slightly.

"It already looks better," Van said, and Kaiya looked at him as she shook her hand to get rid of the water. He was staring at the cat and then his eyes rose to meet hers; she just stared back at him, her hair flapping around in the wind and then he smirked. He sat down beside her and began pulling out grass blades, tossing them away after he had; Kaiya frowned but shrugged mentally. So what if he was a little strange? He was nice enough, and she didn't _really_ want to be alone right then, which was a surprise to her; in a daze, she picked up a long grass blade and licked her lips. She put the grass to her lips and began blowing; Van jumped when the squeaky noise began, and he stared at her. She began playing a song, one her mother had taught her, and when she noticed his fascinated stare, she smirked and handed it to him.

"How did you do that?" he asked in awe.

"My mother taught me," Kaiya replied ruefully.

"Can you teach me?" Van asked, inching forward and staring at her like a small child. Startled, Kaiya began laughing and then nodded. For half an hour she tried to teach him to play and when he finally managed a squeaky note, he smiled at her. The kitten was awake, cleaning itself and staring at Kaiya with fascination; the sun was beginning to set, and Van stood up, stretching his aching back. He picked up the kitten, which mewed slightly and waited for Kaiya to dust herself off and follow him, strolling leisurely back towards the city.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" Van asked, stroking the kitten as it playfully swiped at the pink pendant around his neck, swinging as he walked. Kaiya had noticed it before, and assumed that his sweetheart had given it to him; it was sweet, in a sort of weird way, to her anyway.

"Nah," she said, looking back at the open fields. "I'll probably go back to one of those deserted houses."

"So you came here without any money, no shelter and no idea what you want to do?" He frowned and then smiled as the kitten patted his chest playfully.

"Well, I'm not rich, and I had no idea I would actually be coming here." Kaiya sighed and brushed her hair behind her ears; unconsciously, she began fiddling with her piercings. Two in her left ear, one in her right, and Van watched her inquisitively.

"You look like a gypsy," he suddenly stated, and Kaiya looked at him, her hand falling to her side as she frowned. "With the piercings and all," he explained, pointing to her ears.

"Oh," she said, and smirked sheepishly. "Nah, just…it was a phase every kid at my hometown went through." Truth be told, she had actually had her first piercing by her father, when she was nine, and the second one in her left ear was in spite of her stepfather. She had had four but in a drunken rage, he had pulled one out, scarring the tissue.

"Were your parents pleased?" asked Van.

"My dad was actually the one to pierce them," Kaiya said sullenly. "And I got a friend to do the third one."

"Why three?" he asked as they neared the hill they had sat at beforehand.

Kaiya bit her lip and then looked at him. "I did have four," she said, trusting him enough to give him a small amount of information, "but I got into a fight and it was torn out."

"Ouch," Van said, cringing as if he felt the pain. "Did it hurt?"

"Quite a bit," Kaiya said, smirking. "But I think this style suits me better." Van laughed for the first time that day, and Kaiya smiled; it was a nice sound, although there was still a hint of sadness in him. They passed through the gate, the guards giving Van a small nod, and Kaiya frowned a little, sensing their amazement; she shrugged mentally and looked up ahead. The streets were almost empty, except for a few men and a group of sweethearts; watching them, Kaiya began feeling a little jealous and she frowned. She never felt jealous when she watched couples and looked sideways at Van, who was staring at the couples and she raised an eyebrow, wondering just what vexed him.

"So where do _you_ live, Van?" she asked, poking him in the shoulder.

He looked at her and shrugged uncaringly. "Does it really matter?" he asked and she shrugged back.

"I guess not," she said lightly and grinned at him. Suddenly, her stomach growled loudly, and the kitten hissed at her, swiping in her direction with a soft paw; Kaiya smirked awkwardly and Van laughed again, holding the kitten up.

"What are you going to name her?" he asked, and she frowned.

"Who said I was going to name her, or even keep her?" she asked.

"You're going to give her away?" he asked, stopping in the now deserted street. Lights in houses were being lit and Kaiya sighed.

"Well, what can I do? I have no money to support her, and I certainly doubt I can keep an eye on her all the time." She glanced over her shoulder warily. "Those girls will probably take up most of my time."

"You know, the next time you see them, you could just tell them you're a girl."

"I could but I don't plan on seeing them another time." She looked around and then back to him; he was staring at her, a small smile on his lips and she frowned. "What?" she asked incredulously.

"Nothing," he said quickly and averted his gaze. Frowning, Kaiya looked around again and jumped when the kitten leapt from Van's arms to her shoulder, yowling warningly. She could feel its fright, and quickly she backed away from the direction it was facing; Van, thinking she was leading him somewhere, followed her, and they ended up crouching behind a barrel.

"What are we doing?" he asked, staring at her.

"Shush," she snapped quietly and peered around the barrel. A group of armed men came swanning towards the barrels, and Kaiya ducked behind them, pressing herself against the wall. To her surprise, it was warm and she looked over her shoulder to see a flustered Van staring at her; when he opened his mouth to ask her something, she held up a finger to her mouth and pointed to above the barrels. He frowned but didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"So do you think Sir Allen will be surprised when he see him next?" one asked, and he burped loudly.

"Definitely," another said, also burping. "He thinks we don't know anything about swords but we'll show him."

Kaiya felt Van's surprise and when he shifted, his sword rattled against the barrel; cringing, they both waited to be discovered but the men merely grunted in agreement and left, burping and laughing at each other. Kaiya sighed and stood up away from Van, peering out behind the barrels; the men were halfway down the street by now, and she turned, smiling at Van. He looked deathly pale and she could see he was trembling.

"What is it?" she asked, squatting down before him. She gently shook his shoulders. "Van?"

His eyes snapped onto hers and she jumped, seeing the intensity there, and frowned. "I have to go," he said, scrambling to his feet and staring blankly at her. Then, he smiled and looked at her properly. "It was nice meeting you, Kaiya," he said. "I hope we can do this again sometime."

"…Yeah," she said uncertainly. "Nice meeting you, too Van."

With goodbyes said, Van walked briskly past her and then she lost sight him as she stayed where she was, frowning and puzzling why his mood suddenly changed; she shrugged, thinking once again that it was his life and she had no right to intervene. Slowly, and with the kitten safely in her arms, she made her way towards the deserted street she had first met Van; he was such a confusing boy, with his unstable emotions and his odd mood swings. She shrugged and wandered into an abandoned house; she found a small corner to sleep in and curled up, the kitten purring happily inside her hands. What would she name it?

It was midday, and Kaiya was sitting in the market square beside a fountain, the kitten staring at its reflection; she was thinking about nothing and didn't see the group of young men wander up behind her.

"Hey there, sweetie," one said, startling her and she looked at him. She frowned and then picked up the kitten protectively.

"What are you doing all by yourself?" another asked, sitting down beside her and draping an arm around her shoulders. She could feel their smugness and just looked down at the kitten.

"Not much," she said, stroking its head. The man beside her tried to do the same but the creature hissed at him. The other men chuckled and another one sat down beside Kaiya, grinning lecherously at her; then she was surrounded by them, blocking her way out.

"So, do you want to come celebrate with us?" the first speaker said, grinning at her.

"Celebrate what?"

"You, gorgeous."

Immediately, Kaiya kicked him in the groin and slid back into the fountain, rolling onto her feet and standing up; hurriedly, she turned around and ran through the water, to the other side. She leapt over the rim and then made her way towards the busy streets of the market, soaking wet. The kitten didn't seem to mind the water, and it mewed loudly as she sped through the streets. The youths weren't following her and she slowed down to a jog; as she came to the main street, she began pushing her way through people, excusing herself and apologising. When she was halfway down, she stopped and stared at the group of guards pushing through the crowd roughly; behind them she could see a man flouncing around, smiling smugly and waving, sometimes blowing kisses to girls.

When he saw Kaiya, he stopped and pushed through his barrier; Kaiya frowned and hastily stepped away as he marched towards her. He was tall, taller than her, with light grey eyes and black hair; he seemed handsome, but Kaiya was more interested in the sword and dagger he had in his belt.

"Hello," he said in means of greeting. "You seem a little lost."

Kaiya stared at him questioningly and he smirked.

"I'm Nari," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake. She didn't take it, and stepped back instead, glancing around for an exit. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and it was beginning to tire. "What's your name?" Nari asked, still smiling at her. Kaiya didn't even look at him, as she had seen her exit; she darted through the gap but something grabbed the back of her shirt and threw her to the ground. The kitten screeched and then streaked away through the crowd; Kaiya gasped in pain and looked up at an angry Nari.

"It's rude not to answer," he said, his voice taut with disgust and rage. She could feel it pulsating from him and cringed; it felt exactly like being in her stepfather's presence.

"Is it not also rude to hurt strangers?" she retorted, trying to stand on her feet.

"Shut up!" Nari yelled, stomping her back down. "I didn't ask for your opinion!" He bent down and grabbed the front of her shirt; she gripped his wrist and stared up at him. "What's your name?" he asked menacingly. Angered, Kaiya spat in his face her dropped her roughly, then wiped his face. "You're going to pay for that," he said darkly and clicked his fingers.

"Take this wench to the royal dungeons!" he barked, and Kaiya was thrown over someone's shoulder; not having the energy to protest, she lay limp and watched the ground as she was carried away. After ten minutes, she was securely shackled to a dripping stone wall in the dankest dungeon she could have ever imagined; the guard sniggered as he left, swinging his keys on his finger and the thick dungeon door slammed shut. She couldn't see anything, except the cell in front of her and the shadow of the barred window; she sighed and whistled, listening to the echo as it travelled through the stony corridors. She then called out a Cooee and grinned as it bounced around the walls. She smiled, knowing how to pass the time until she was let go.

It had been hours and her voice was sore, from thirst and from excess usage; she sighed, hanging limply from her shackles and watched as the shadow of the barred window slowly moved across the floor to the wall. It was something she had always done when locked in a bare room by her stepfather, a way of passing time, and she'd come to appreciate the sun greatly; it was a companion in dark places, and a beacon for hope, hope of a new and better day, and hers couldn't be going any rottener. She was starving, and her stomach was cramping from it, making it almost impossible to think or do anything to keep hr mind off the pain; the sun had set by now, and she had to relieve herself, and hopefully she'd be able to soon.

She remained hanging for another two hours before she couldn't take it anymore, and began rattling her shackles, to see if they were loose enough to break; unfortunately, they were well maintained, and only clanged loudly. A guard came in and told her to 'shut it', then left without ever hearing her plea for a bathroom break. It was crazy, and she almost wished she were back on Earth; but she sighed, hanging her head in resignation and wondering what the hell she would do. Maybe if someone asked her if she knew anyone, she'd say she knew Van, and hoped they knew whom she meant. Then he'd help her; she'd sensed his loyalty the day before, and it amazed her at how deep it ran. It was like the entirety of his emotions were underlined by this one, and she was somewhat surprised.

Damn, she was hungry, and after not eating breakfast or dinner the night before, she began to feel the cramps in her abdomen, the ones that came when she was starved. She'd thought she'd gotten used to it, but she realised that she'd slackened her will power, and she chastised herself for about an hour on her stupidity and weakness. When done with her self-lecture, she began watching the water drip from the roof into a small puddle; it wasn't exactly interesting or fast but it kept her occupied. She thought of whistling or humming but the guard would probably hear, and reprimand her. So she just knuckled down and watched the water drip; a few hours later, when a guard came in and lit the lamps, she'd wanted to scream at him. But she kept her cool, although her voice did waver slightly.

"Can you tell me why I'm locked up, please?" she asked, staring at the middle-aged jailer. He turned to sneer at her and leaned against the bars, biting into a fresh apple.

"Apparently, you attacked Lord Nari." He smirked as she frowned. "Yeah, I don't think many people believe that either but he's a Lord, and we must obey him." She caught the irony in his voice and sniggered along with him.

"So, ah, how long am I meant to stay hanging like this?

"Until the king comes down to assess you." The jailer grinned, taking another bite of his apple. "He'd come down sooner but he's in a conference with Sir Allen and Miss Merle. And Nari's probably going to detain him longer, saying that he's got important news the king's already heard." He scowled. "That man thinks he's the greatest thing on Gaea, always trying to seduce any girl he sees. So," he said, looking at her pale face, "did you actually attack him or is he just fibbing again?"

"Uh, I just spat in his face," she replied as calmly as she could, trying not to think at how tasty the apple looked.

"Why?" The jailer seemed ignorant of her grumbling stomach and she wanted to yell at him to give her food.

"Because he just came up to me and tried to pick me up."

"He tried to lift you?" the jailer asked incredulously, giving her a bewildered look.

Kaiya smirked. "No, he tried to…uh, accost me." The jailer made a noise that sounded like he finally understood what she was saying and she continued. "I tried to run away but something grabbed me. He kicked me down when I tried to get up and that's when I spat in his face." She sighed. "This is so unfair; I didn't do anything that wrong!"

"In his eyes, you committed a sin, one of the greatest I might add." He laughed and looked at her again. "Good work, girl." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wish Nari would just go away; he's a thorn in everyone's side, especially the king's. It's a known fact that Nari wants the thrown for himself but King Van is strong and he won't let that happen."

Kaiya, who had only been half listening, half drooling over the apple, jumped at the mention of Van's name. "Wait, go back. Did you say King 'Van'?"

"Yeah," the jailer replied. "Why?"

Kaiya gawked at him, and then she became angry, angry that the first person she had actually talked to civilly in a few years had lied to her. It wasn't like she would have cared that he was king, she didn't really care about anything, but she was angry he hadn't told her.

"That bastard!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. The jailer backed away hurriedly, seeing the death in her eyes. "When I see him next I'm gonna kill him!"

"Who are you going to kill?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Who are you going to kill

"Who are you going to kill?" asked a familiar voice and Kaiya's deathly glare turned to the new comer in the cell corridor. Van was slouching against the wall, not looking at her, wearing his attire from the previous day.

"You!" she shouted at him, straining her shackles.

His head snapped up and he stared at her, utter bafflement clearly visible. He then frowned and walked forward till he was standing in front of her cell. "And what are you doing in the dungeons?" he asked.

"Being held for attempted murder!" she yelled angrily, glaring at him with all the hatred she could muster. "But you better not let me out, Van, 'cause I might just try and kill again!"

He smirked and that enraged her even more. "So, Nari tells me you attacked him and he had to lock you up. Is this true?" He grinned at her. "You don't seem the type to attack people; you look more like a harmless gypsy than a murderer."

"Screw you!" Kaiya yelled, much to the jailer's and Van's surprise. "This isn't funny, you lying bastard!"

"I know," Van said gravely. "You're locked in a horrible cell, chained to a wall and hungry, and a madman wants to see you hang, but not before he has some private time with you."

"I'd rather have some private time with you!" she shouted. "Then I could kill you!"

"But wouldn't that take the fun out of it?" Van asked calmly. He smirked as her face reddened with anger. "Surely a mass murderer like yourself would rather have it done under the noses of everyone, and later laugh wickedly at the stupidity of us all. Hmm?"

Kaiya didn't reward him with a reply but she did snarl at him, straining her shackles until her wrists began bleeding; the cut wasn't deep but it did bleed a lot, the blood running down her arm and then dribbling to the floor.

"You're hurting yourself," Van said, giving her a reproachful stare. She stopped and glared at him, slowly leaning against the cold all, her bare and scraped shoulder throbbing slightly. She looked away from piercing red eyes, and to the floor beside her foot.

"Let me out," she said softly, calmly, even though she felt like exploding again. She felt betrayed, and all the emotions from her world came rushing back to her; the cage of terror, of hatred, of hurt, the feeling that no one wanted her, and the fact that it was true all began to consume her again, this time faster. It was complete by the time she was unshackled and she rubbed her wrists absently as the jailer stepped out of the cell to let her pass. She didn't feel anyone else's emotions, as her were as high as they had been in several years and she almost glided up the stairs and out into the well lit entryway.

"Kaiya!"

She didn't respond to her name but stopped obligingly when her arm was tugged; King Van stood in front of her gripping her arm so she wouldn't try and run and stared at her; he couldn't see her face, as it was bent towards the floor, and he frowned, wondering if she was crying.

"Kaiya, look, I'm sorry I…"

"Save it, King Van," she said, and looked up, her face completely blank; he was somewhat surprised, and she felt it, even over her own feelings. She stared at him and then sighed but kept eye contact. "How do I get out of here?" she asked quietly, keeping her gaze steady and unwavering.

"I'll show you," King Van said, looking away from her stare, feeling guilty; she trailed behind him silently, mulling over where she would go. She knew she had to get out of Fanelia, to find somewhere remote and just live alone; no one would bother her then, and she wouldn't feel so wretched at not being loved or trusted. King Van glanced back at her every few steps and saw the secluded look in her eyes; it felt weird when she called him 'King Van', and he wished that he'd told her the day before of his title. When they reached a servant exit, he cleared his throat awkwardly and Kaiya looked at him.

"Thank you," she said without any emotion. She stepped past him into the cold night air and shivered; she didn't stop though, and ignored King Van when he called out to her. She wandered the empty streets, walking back to the house she had stayed at the night before, and collected her bag. Surprisingly, the kitten was there, asleep beside it and she stared at it. Gently, she picked it up and it opened its eyes, staring at her sleepily. It mewed, and she smirked, thinking of a name for it.

"Mew," she said, knowing that it was indeed a name from Pokemon, but she didn't care; she was in a different world: they couldn't find her to sue.

King Van stared moodily at his dinner, pushing it around on his plate and barely hearing what Sir Allen said about his behaviour; Merle watched him intently, trying to figure out why he was in such a sullen mood. Suddenly, a guard wandered in, his gloved hands wrapped around something small and fury; he bowed and then proceeded towards King Van, who was watching him curiously.

"Your Majesty," the guard said, extending his hands. "This was given to me, and asked that it be given to you." He cleared his throat and recited, "It's name is 'Mew'."

The kitten from the previous day popped up and mewed at King Van, who jumped a little; he then smiled and reached up to take it. The kitten purred, rubbing its head against his thumb and licked him. It looked a lot better than when he'd first seen it. Suddenly, he remembered that Kaiya must have been the one to drop it off. Before the guard could leave, King Van was out of his chair and in his face.

"The person who gave this to you, did they say anything else?" The guard frowned. "The girl, who gave you this cat and the message, did she tell you anything else?"

The guard thought for a minute, as if trying to recall something; King Van hoped that she'd agreed to let him apologise but that thought was burst as the guard said, "No, she just left." He looked at his now deflated liege and gulped. "C-can I go now, Your Majesty?" he asked nervously.

"Yes, you may," King Van said.

A few hours later, lying on his bed, the young king stared up at the roof, absently stroking Mew; he smirked: it fitted the cat perfectly, as all it did was mew and complain at him in cat tongue. Mew suddenly bit him and he sat up, staring at her; she began to howl with sorrow it seemed and he sighed, picking up the kitten and cuddling it.

"I know," he said.

Kaiya staggered through the heavy rain, trying to avoid falling over again; she failed as she slipped on a wet rock and went tumbling down the hill, taking with her several branches and bushes. She landed in a shallow muddy puddle, her already torn and stained clothes becoming even dirtier; slowly, she rose to her feet, hugging herself to try and keep warm. She was stupid for not purchasing a jacket before leaving, but she had to get away as soon as she could, knowing full well that she'd only spiral deeper into depression if she stayed. It had been a surprise when the sky opened up and began pouring, as if trying to deter her from leaving Fanelia, but she was stubborn, and pressed on.

She'd been walking for at least three days, and the rain hadn't let up since; her breath came in wheezy gasps, sometimes coughs, and she lost her breath a lot. She hadn't found a suitable place to stay yet, and it was beginning to aggravate her; surely there were places in Gaea no one lived in? It was maddening; everywhere she went, someone always popped up and greeted her cheerfully.

But she wouldn't let it get the best of her; keeping her mind focused on finding a secluded area, she trudged through the cold heavy drops, her jaw clenched tight to stop her teeth from chattering. She had felt a little apprehensive going back to the palace, even if it was just to drop Mew off; after giving the guard the message, she'd sped off, running through the gates without a second glance back. Presently, she shuddered and coughed, noting how congested it was; she stopped and looked around. She could see nothing in the abysmal weather and decided to get her torch out; switching it on, she pointed it in every direction. There was nothing but trees and bushes, and glowing eyes reflected back at her. She sighed and put the device away; King Van's face came to her mind, and her anger rose, bringing with it strength and the urge to prove that she didn't need anyone.

She began to run, stumbling through the forest she had entered a few hours ago; she didn't let up until she collapsed beside a small rock formation, and even then she tried to crawl forward. She stopped when her hand touched something scaly and she looked around; there was a large gaping hole beside her, big enough to fit a aeroplane down, and something was breathing, something _warm_.

All thoughts of safety pushed from her mind, she managed to crawl into the ditch; it was warm and moist in the hole, and she found it much better than being outside. As she continued to crawl deeper into the hole, she found that it was actually a tunnel, and she realised there was something beside her. It began to growl as she reached out and touched its scaly figure and she froze from fright; was this a dragon? Suddenly, she felt delirious and she clutched her aching head as a sudden migraine descended upon her; she collapsed beside an enraged dragon, knowing full well she probably wouldn't wake up.

She couldn't really remember much, except the softness of his eyes, and the smile that usually graced his lips; she remembered the brown hair that always seemed to get in the way. His hands, she remembered the most, and the way he used to hold her when she was scared or upset; his smell was always around, and she'd dearly missed it after he died. And it didn't help that her mother threw out the bottle of his cologne, saying that it reminded her of him too much; of course, she'd already met the hated stepfather and there was an inclination that he hadn't liked it.

Her parents had been tall, and she'd inherited that off them; she'd inherited her black hair from her mother, and apparently her looks and figure but she didn't really care about appearance. She remembered how happy the three of them had been, how they took weekend trips away to visit grandparents and relatives or just to get away; she remembered she had been happy, smiling all the time, and she'd had friends, not a lot but she still had them. That all changed when he died, and it got even worse when she died; she basically retreated form the world, hanging out with ruffians but never belonging to the group.

Presently, she felt like she was on fire, about to melt if she didn't cool down, and she could scarcely breathe her throat was that parched; she couldn't remember what happened to her, but she knew she didn't really care. She drifted in and out of consciousness, her temperature rising till it felt she would actually melt to the ground; around her she could feel concern and curiosity, and sometimes she heard low growls. She could never understand what was going on around her, especially when something started to roar and hiss; at first it was scary, faintly hearing the noises, but soon they became comforting, and she grew used to them.

After Lord knows how long she'd been unconscious for, she opened her sore eyes and found that everything was blurry; blinking away the sleep, she looked around and found herself in a large cave. There was a fire beside her, glowing brightly and she frowned; had someone found her? There was a shuffling noise and she groggily turned to see something big, black and scaly slinking towards her, a dead hare in its mouth; she just stared at the dragon as it shuffled around the fire and dropped the mammal on the floor beside her. It looked at her, and then snorted, wisps of dark smoke billowing out of its nose. Its long neck snaked down until its amber eyes were level with Kaiya's and she gulped; suddenly, it retracted its head and a deep hum came from its throat. Was it laughing at her?

Slowly, trying not to startle it, she sat up and looked around; there was a large tunnel leading away, and another one opposite it so she assumed there were catacombs for dragons to live in. She could see, dimly, several pairs of glowing eyes and frowned; were there other dragons watching her? She jumped when a dragon nudged her leg and she looked up at the one who had been carrying the hare; it stared at her, and she felt the concern and curiosity. Clearly it had never seen a human before, or maybe it had just never met a non-threatening one. It kept its head close to her face and she tentatively reached out and touched its brow; it leaned into her touch and then pulled back, humming again. Slowly, it reached for the hare and dropped it in Kaiya's lap; she jumped and stared at the bloody mess. The hare's eyes were wide with shock, and its tongue lolled out of its mouth; it had two broken paws and she gathered that its chest had been crushed by something stepping on it.

She looked up into the glowing amber eyes of the dragon and smiled at it, wondering if it would know that she was thanking it; apparently it did, as it dipped its head several times and then settled down beside the fire, watching her steadily. Kaiya looked at the hare again and then gulped; was she expected to eat it raw? She guessed that if she didn't eat it, the dragon would become angry and probably kill her so she reached into her bag and pulled out the pocketknife she always had on her. She began to strip away the fur, and every so often glanced at the dragon watching her; when all the fur was gone, she looked around to find something she could hold the hare with, so as not to burn her hands. There was s tick, and she grabbed it; gulping, she stuck it into the hare's open mouth and held it aloft over the fire.

In a few minutes of roasting, the hare was nicely cooked and Kaiya ate it slowly, staring at the large black dragon in front of her; it was staring back, full of curiosity and amusement and Kaiya kept frowning whenever it blinked. After picking the last of the cooked meat of the hare, Kaiya placed the bones beside her leg; a baby dragon, bigger than a fully-grown Doberman, snaked towards it and snaked it up in one gulp. She jumped a little but then laid down, feeling utterly exhausted; in minutes she was a sleep, and she didn't wake up till at least twenty-four hours. The large dragon was still there, curled up in a small ball, its head resting on its front claws and staring at her; it was quite unnerving but Kaiya managed to ignore it as she looked around for somewhere to relieve herself.

Finding no one, she turned to the dragon and cleared her parched throat. "Is there…" She coughed and gripped her sore throat, then tried again. "Is there somewhere I can do my…uh, business?" she asked, hoping it understood. Thankfully it did, and it loomed in front of her, snagging the back of her shirt and lifting her off her feet; it didn't let her down as it walked through the large tunnel. The tunnel itself was well dug, and the walls were smooth to the touch, as Kaiya found out when she reached out; there were many branches and she would have gotten lost had the dragon not carried her. Looking ahead, Kaiya could see bright light, and she squinted as they got closer; the dragon stopped when it reached the end of the tunnel, and Kaiya heard herself gasp in wonder.

The scene below her was magnificent, and that was putting it lightly; it must have been just after dawn, because there was still a thin layer of fog covering the tall evergreen tree forest that seemed to spread over the whole expanse she could see. Mountains surrounded the heavenly looking forest, and she could see a large clear lake sparkling a few kilometres away; birds called to one another, and animals chattered and howled; the dragon placed Kaiya on the ground and she wobbled a bit but leant against the dragon to support herself. It was like looking a dream, one she had never had herself, or another world; she snorted: what was she thinking? She _was_ in another world!

Quickly looking for somewhere to relieve herself, she found a small cluster of bushes and ducked behind it; after doing her business, she came back out to find the dragon sitting, staring at the sky as if it were in mourning. Carefully, Kaiya wandered up to it and turned to look over the world below her, knowing she had fulfilled her vow to find somewhere isolated.

"Hi!"

Kaiya jumped a foot in the air and fell over backwards, tumbling down the hill; when she stopped, she found herself upside down hanging over a fallen tree branch, and she could hear someone laughing. Disentangling herself, she climbed the hill to find the dragon chuckling and a small girl, no older than seven, laughing.

"Sorry," she said suddenly. "I didn't mean to scare you." She laughed again, and Kaiya frowned, sitting down on the ground. The girl took a small step forward and reached out; baffled Kaiya watched as the girl placed her hands on her face. She then realised the girl was blind, and stared into glazed emerald green orbs. The girl smiled as she took her hands away, and Kaiya found herself smiling back. She looked the girl over, and frowned when she realised the girl was wearing naught but a tatty old shirt that barely covered her; her hair was dark magenta, and it hung in dirty clumps with twigs, dirt and even some dead bugs.

"I'm Mati," the girl said cheerfully, holding out a small dirt-covered hand.

"Kaiya," the Empath replied, shaking it. "What are you doing out here?" she asked as Mati sat in between the dragon and her.

"I could ask the same of you, Kaiya," Mati said but smiled. "I was abandoned by my family because I was blind and I could communicate with animals. That was a few years ago, when I was three, and I grew up here, with the dragons. What are _you_ doing out here?"

Kaiya sighed, and related her entire story to the small girl; it was a relief to get everything off her chest. "And it just enraged me to no end that he didn't even trust me with his title, so I ran away," she finished and sighed again. Mati smiled kindly and patted Kaiya's leg. "I don't even know why I got so worked up about him not telling me." Kaiya sighed again and ran her fingers through her greasy hair; how long had it been since she'd had a wash? "Maybe it was because I put myself out there, and he didn't. Or maybe it's because he was the first one I've ever tried to speak civilly to in a few years. I don't know; what do you think?"

"I think you need to decide on your own, Kaiya," replied the blind girl, smiling and leaving her hand on Kaiya's knee. "That way when you see him again you can tell just what made you mad. But why didn't you speak nicely to people on your world?"

"Because I had just lost my dad, and it was depressing." Kaiya smiled sadly. "It was like, he was what kept me civil and open to new things."

"I felt the same when my dad abandoned me," Mati admitted sorrowfully. "Even though he did abandon me, I still love him and I'd want to see him again when I go back, just to tell him I still do."

"How old are you?" asked Kaiya, staring at her.

"Six and a half. You?"

"Almost eighteen," Kaiya replied. "I'd know the exact time if I knew how long I was out for."

"You were out for nine days," Mati supplied and Kaiya frowned. "Your fever was really high, and you sometimes flailed around dangerously. The dragons were worried you'd die if it didn't go away but thankfully you woke up. How long do you plan on staying here?"

"Are you kicking me out?" Kaiya asked, smirking.

Mati laughed. "No," she said. "Just wondering, so I don't get my hopes up. It's happened before: a person has wandered here and stayed for a while and we became friends but they always leave." She turned to 'look' at Kaiya, and the Empath felt the sadness and loneliness deep within her. "Are you going to leave too, Kaiya?"

Kaiya smirked. "No," she said, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I promised myself not to go back to civilisation, to find somewhere remote and stay away from everyone." She sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "It was just too hard to live in a world where you feel everyone's emotions, and it's not like I can block them out."

"I got that too," Mati said, shifting closer to Kaiya. "The animals would start asking questions, and I'd think that a person had asked so I'd reply. Everyone accused me of witchcraft and a few weeks later my dad abandoned me, so he wouldn't have to deal with all the rocks thrown at him." There were tears in her eyes and she wiped them away. "I hope he's all right."

"Was it just you and your dad?" Kaiya asked softly.

"Yeah," Mati said, smiling. "I love him so much, and I sometimes cry because I miss him so much. Do you cry for your dad, Kaiya?"

"No," Kaiya replied. "I used to, before my mother died, and then I just held everything in because my stepfather was so horrible and he'd beat me if I cried. I'm glad I got away."

"I am too," Mati said, hugging Kaiya's arm to her chest. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Sleep, mostly," Kaiya said, stifling a yawn. "I am so bloody tired."

"That's understandable," Mati said as the two girls stood up. Kaiya could feel her disappointment and felt a little guilty; here was this sunny girl, cut off from the remainder of the world, and she just wanted to sleep.

"But we could go down to the lake tomorrow if you want," she said, hoping to entice the blind girl.

"Really?" she cried. Enticement succeeded. "What would we do there?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I stink, and by the looks of your hair, it needs a wash. So we'll kill two birds with one stone: give ourselves a bath and then have fun. How does that sound?"

"Good! But are we really going to kill two birds with one stone? That's just barbaric!"

It had been quite an adventure, flying on the back of a dragon, one that Kaiya wouldn't like to do again soon; it was weird feeling the muscles bulge and shift under her, and when the dragon had suddenly careened straight for the lake, she'd almost screamed in fright. Mati had screamed in delight as the dragon pulled out of the dive and landed gracefully beside the lake on a small field; it reminded Kaiya of the field outside of Fanelia, where she and King Van had spent the day, and her anger rose. Pushing it down, she dismounted and carried Mati to the edge of the lake, her bag slung over her shoulder; Mati turned her head this way and that, listening to the animals and then she giggled when Kaiya swore as the dragon burped.

Kaiya smiled, feeling absolutely free, and she kicked off her shoes and socks; she took off her clothing and then helped Mati to do the same. Holding the girl, she then slipped into the lukewarm water and sighed happily.

"The water's really nice," Mati said, splashing around a bit in the shallows. It came up to her chin, and the end of Kaiya's ribcage, and she began twirling around, her long tangled hair growing heavy and water logged. Kaiya smiled and dived under the water, rubbing her fingers through her dishevelled hair; when she surfaced, Mati was calling her name. Sneaking up behind her, the Empath grabbed Mati under her arms and lifted her into the air, then quickly dropped her into the water. Mati laughed and twirled around, sending ripples towards the bank.

"Shall we clean your hair?" Kaiya asked, swimming to the girl's side.

"You might not be able to," Mati confessed, playing with a dirty curl.

"I'll manage," Kaiya said lightly.

It took a lot more work than Kaiya had thought but she managed to untangle all of the hair; she then scrubbed out all the dirt and twigs and bugs and by the time she was done, she was amazed to see how lovely Mati's hair was. It reached her shoulder blades and seemed to shine with life; Kaiya almost envied her.

"Now it's your turn!" Mati crowed happily and Kaiya smiled, taking a breath and plunging beneath the water; she scrubbed her hair furiously until she was sure it was clean and then stood up. Mati was chatting to some otter looking creatures and then laughed; the otters swam off after that, giving Kaiya a quick glance before diving underwater and disappearing.

"Well, now that that's done," Mati said as Kaiya swam over to her, "what do you want to do?"

"I need to wash my clothes," Kaiya said. "So I'll do that and then, I dunno, do stuff."

"Sounds good," Mati said, laughing.

It was sunset by the time the girls were ready to go home, and the dragon flew them back to their new home; Mati was wearing Kaiya's gym shirt, fashioned as a dress, and Kaiya was wearing only her crop top and her black pants. Dinner was roasted fish, as they had gone fishing, and it tasted delicious; afterwards, the curled up together by the fire, and talked.

"What's it like on the Mystic Moon?" Mati wanted to know.

"The Mystic Moon?" Kaiya asked, puzzled.

Mati laughed. "That's what people from Gaea call it, your world."

"Oh," Kaiya said, feeling stupid. "It's nice but not like this place. There's lots of traffic and the technology is really advanced. The people there are generally nice but there's a lot who aren't, like my stepfather. There were some really nice people at my school, like this one girl, Hitomi Kanzaki."

"Hitomi Kanzaki?" Mati cried, sitting up. "But…she was _here_, on Gaea, and then she left. It was rumoured that she and Van," Kaiya stiffened at the name, "loved each other but if she's on the Mystic Moon then she can't have loved him that much."

"I'm sure her reasons were logical," Kaiya said. "Maybe she didn't want to leave her family and friends."

"I guess," Mati said. She sighed. "It was a sad day she left; Van became depressed but after nearly a month of wallowing, he came out of his stupor and became a fine ruler. And then, a few months later, he becomes depressed again, and no one can figure it out, not even his closest friend Merle."

"A few months ago," Kaiya repeated, thinking back to her school life. "That was around the time the new kid, Chi something, arrived and began dating Hitomi."

"Oh!" Mati breathed. "Maybe she got in contact with Van and told him she'd found someone new. Maybe they mutually agreed to end their relationship, because of the different worlds they lived on."

"Well, clearly it wasn't mutual because that prat is still pining over her."

"He really must have loved her," Mati said with a pathetic sigh. "I wish, when I'm older, that there's someone who'll love me the way he did her."

"How do you know he loved her that much?" Kaiya asked as Mati lay back down.

"The birds tell me," she replied, smiling. "They're quite a good source of information, really. But anyway, they told me that they could see van talking to himself up on the roof of his palace, and they said he even cried a few times. They told me that everyone had hoped Hitomi would come back and be with him, but if this Chi boy has her heart, I doubt she will. Are all Mystic Moon dwellers as flippant as she?"

"I don't know," Kaiya admitted, yawning. "I don't pay attention to romance much."

"Why not?" Mati asked, pouting. "Haven't you ever dreamed of finding your soul mate and living happily with him?" Kaiya gave her a flat 'no', and Mati pouted even more. "Not even when you were younger?"

"No, because I didn't think I'd ever find someone willing to love me back. I didn't like reading fairy-tales because they would have filled my head with silliness and untrue things."

"But what if your soul mate was here on Gaea? What if that's why you came here, to find him?"

Kaiya shook her head. "No, I came here to get away from my world because it was just dishing out crap."

"You could have come here for two reasons, you know," Mati sulked.

"Yeah, but there was no thought about 'finding my soul mate' when I was transported. It's a good theory though; maybe you should keep it in mind if ever you're taken to my world."

"I don't think I'd like to leave Gaea," Mati admitted, snuggling close to Kaiya.

"Neither do I," Kaiya said before falling asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Kaiya sat watching Mati paddle in the water, her feet dangling in the refreshing liquid; surrounding her were several baby dra

Kaiya sat watching Mati paddle in the water, her feet dangling in the refreshing liquid; surrounding her were several baby dragons, some bigger than her, and they were all chirruping and growling in their own language. Kaiya smiled as Mati was led back to land by a small dragon and helped her onto the dry ground beside her.

"That was fun," she said.

"It looked it," Kaiya said, smiling. A warm wind began to blow, and Kaiya's hair blew into her face; it was longer, almost reaching the middle of her neck, and she could now tie it up in a small ponytail. She'd been living with Mati and the dragons for just over a month, and in that time she'd learnt how to laugh again, how to feel accepted; what's more is she learnt new things about herself, like that she could cook fine meals with the simplest of ingredients. Mati seemed delighted that she had a new friend, or a sister as she usually called Kaiya, to play with and keep her company.

"Animals are fine," she had said one day, "but I still need human interaction from time to time."

It was strange that Kaiya could adjust so easily to a whole new life, but she didn't mind the freedom, the no boundaries and the acceptance; she liked being wanted and loved, after so many years of hatred and disgust. And it benefited Mati too, she liked having her around, filling the slot of the older sister and guardian; the dragons liked her because she could sense their moods and the fact that she didn't much care what they were or what they did. They lived in their own world, a beautiful one at that, and didn't care what happened outside; they were happy, and thought that the blissful life would last forever.

But they were wrong…

Kilometres away and underground, the Lord paced around his throne room, pondering what he was going to do. He needed the thrown, if his plan to become ruler of Gaea was going to succeed and he needed a way to get to the current king; he was still pacing half an hour later when his man servant, Kol, walked in and bowed respectfully.

"My lord," he said, looking at his liege. "We have news that the king is going for a journey." The Lord raised an eyebrow. "By himself, for at least two weeks to Asturia."

"Ahhh…" the Lord sighed, grinning manically. "At last an opening to destroy that pest and gain control of Fanelia. Tell me, do you know what became of that girl…Kaiya?"

"No, my lord. She seems to have disappeared from all our senses, and no matter how hard we try, we can't seem to find her. I'm sorry."

"It's all right, Kol," the Lord said smoothly. "She'll surface soon and when she does, you bring her to me immediately. Do you understand me?"

"Of course, my lord," Kol said before bowing and leaving as hastily as he could without seeming rude.

The Lord smiled to himself, thinking that soon his promised one and the thrown would be.

"Lord Van, do you really have to go by yourself?"

King Van sighed, and looked at the pouting Merle. He smiled tenderly at her and ruffled her pink hair. "Yes, Merle," he said calmly.

"Why?" she whined, swatting away his hand. "You could be hurt! And that _girl_ is out there." She pulled a face and King Van laughed.

"You never even met her and you're pulling faces!" he jested and she hissed at him, making him laugh.

"I still don't like her," Merle mumbled, crossing her arms in a sulk.

"Oh, lighten up, Merle!" King Van said, grinning at her. "I'll only be gone for a few weeks, three at the most. You can take care of yourself that long, can't you?" He smirked. "Or do I need to send for Gaddess?"

The cat-girl's ears pricked up and she looked at him, a faint blush on her cheeks. "N-no, you don't have to send for him."

King Van shook his head; it was a well-known fact that Merle and Gaddess were in a relationship, but she wouldn't admit it, the stubborn girl. But he was happy for her, because he knew she loved him very much and he her, so there was no disapproval on his end. The young king sighed, and mounted his horse, turning it around to face the city; he needed a vacation from all the tiresome work of being a king, and now was as good as any time to have it.

"I'll see you soon, Merle," he called over his shoulder as he spurred his horse forward. "Don't get into too much mischief!"

Kaiya gave a startled yell as she slipped from her perch and landed on her back, cursing and coughing; she sat up and sighed, heaving herself to her feet. She climbed the tree again, this time careful to avoid the moss covered branches and once again took her post at the top of the tree; she was watching the caravan snaking its way across the open field that connected with the lush forest. It held about ten or so wagons, and she assumed it was a family or gypsies moving toward a new town. There were small children and pregnant women with cheerful husbands; it made Kaiya remember her parents and she sighed, sitting down on her perch and dangling her legs over.

She perked up when she saw several riders galloping around the caravan, clearly guarding them, and then they veered towards her; she got to her feet and stared at them using the telescope Mati had given her. Apparently one of her temporary friends had left it, and it was still in good nick. Pointing towards the riders, she saw that they were armed, and chasing something, a dog it seemed, and it was leading them right towards her tree. It must have smelled her, for the wind was blowing towards them, and she sighed, wishing she had taken a bath the day before.

The horseback riders came to stop just in front of her tree, which the dog was barking at, looked up to see nothing but leaves, swaying in the breeze.

"Hello!" one man called, getting off his horse and drawing his sword. "Is there anyone there?"

Lying on several thick branches, Kaiya pulled out a grass blade and blew, creating a haunting squeak; hopefully it sounded like a foreign bird and thankfully, the men assumed that's what the noise was. Reprimanding the dog, they rode back to the caravan, telling everyone of the odd and out-of-place birdcall. Grinning, Kaiya thought herself quite smart to have tricked them with such a simple device, but she didn't know it would cause her misery and danger.

Several days later, Kol rushed into his Lord's chambers, bowing hastily and blushing slightly when he saw that he was half naked; punching his opponent in the face, the Lord nodded and turned to Kol. He noticed the faint blush and smirked, running his fingers through his black hair.

"You have news?" he asked, panting from his training. He was sweaty quite freely, and it made his skin look like it was glowing.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Kol stepped up to his Lord and nodded. "There's a rumour going around some towns that they heard an out-of-place bird-call. I had some of the men check around, and they found footprints." The Lord raised an eyebrow. "Human footprints, the size of a girl's." He smirked, letting his somewhat handsome face lighten with emotion. "I think we just found your girl," he said.

"Kaiya!" Mati yelled, startling the Empath who had been lying in the sun blissfully. Sitting up, she saw the blind the girl walking towards her, a big smile on her lips.

"Yeah?" she called back, smiling when the girl tumbled down into her arms.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Tanning," Kaiya replied nonchalantly.

"Why?"

"For the fun of it," was the casual reply. "Did you want something or just came out here to chat?"

"I wanted to ask you something important," Mati said, becoming flustered and uncomfortable.

"What?" Kaiya asked, giving the child her full attention.

Mati took a deep breath and blurted out, "If you ever saw King Van again, what would you do?"

Kaiya sighed and lay back down. "Why?" she asked dryly. "Is he coming here to pay you a visit?"

Mati laughed and shook her head. "No, the animals are just getting a little worried. They say he went on an adventure by himself, and that there's evil in the air." She sighed. "They also say they saw some big machines flying this way, fast too, and they'd be here by nightfall."

Kaiya bolted up and stared at Mati. "Big machines?" she repeated. "Coming here? Why? Have we done something?"

"Not that I know of…"

"Hmm…well, it's bad in any case." She stood up, picking Mati up as she did and headed back into the cover of the dragon's lair; she had long since memorised the tunnels and paths, and could follow them blindfolded. A few hours later, Mati had explained to each dragon of the giant machine heading their way, and the danger Kaiya felt. Through the blind girl, they had related to Kaiya that they had also sensed great danger and they were preparing to get them to safety.

"Where do we go?" Kaiya asked. There was a short silence before Mati spoke for them.

"They said we should go to the closest town around here," she relayed. "They said we should find somewhere to hide until they come and get us when it's safe."

"And when will that be?' Kaiya asked, feeling a little uncomfortable about going back to civilisation. She liked being in the wild, because she was free there.

"They don't know. But they promised to come as soon as they could."

Kaiya sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Usually that calmed her down but it didn't work, so she ruffed it up as best she could and sighed again when her hair was sticking out in unruly tufts. Mati was patiently waiting for her to say something but Kaiya didn't know what. The dragons were watching her with amusement and she scowled; that caused them to chuckle and she sighed in exasperation. "I guess we have no choice, than do we?" she huffed, crossing her arms and legs simultaneously. She scowled at the ground but her head snapped up when she heard a distant rumbling; the ground was shaking slightly and she clambered to her feet, reaching out to take Mati's hand.

"What is it?" she whispered to the child.

A pause and then, "They're here." Fear ran through the girl's veins, and Kaiya could even feel it in the dragons'; the rumbling got louder until it was almost unbearable, and then the dragons whipped into action. The young ones were herded out into a small tunnel, pulling Kaiya and Mati with them; Kaiya barely managed to grab her bag as they snagged her pants with their teeth and dragged her away down the tunnel, screeching and chirping irately and fearfully. Mati had no idea where they were going, tripping over her feet and other loose bits of earth and when she fell over, Kaiya stopped dead in her tracks and then ran to her just as there was a mighty roar and the air became hotter. Sweat began to spot on her brow, and she gasped feeling a shiver run up her spine.

"Mati!" she cried and threw the girl over her shoulder, sprinting as fast as she could after the dragons. They were nowhere to be seen, and she cursed as she ran, looking around the dim tunnel for a way out. Carrying the extra weight slowed her down, and soon she was panting and sweating heavily; she was glad she was only wearing crop top and pants; otherwise her shirt would be sticking to her, hindering her movements.

"Where are we going?" Mati yelled in fright, clutching at Kaiya's neck to steady herself as she bounced around.

"I…don't know!" Kaiya gasped and had to slow to a quick walk. "I…lost the dragons and…there aren't any other tunnels."

"Keep walking down this one," Mati whispered hoarsely. "You should come across a small tunnel, no bigger than me, and it will let us out in the forest."

"All right," Kaiya said breathlessly and began jogging down the tunnel. Suddenly, the ground rumbling violently and she was thrown on her side, hearing Mati scream as she was thrown off her shoulders; in the distant, she could hear something roaring and the air became humid.

"Mati," Kaiya said, crawling to the girl's side and lifting her into her arms; the blind girl had scrapped her knee and elbow, and there was a small scrape on her cheek. She was crying, rubbing at her unseeing eyes to clear the tears. The ground rumbled again, and it became hard to breathe, as if the air was being taken from her lungs.

Kaiya gasped and spun around as she stood up; there was a bright glow flying towards her through the dimness, and it crackled and hissed as it did. Immediately, Kaiya recognised it as fire and she swore, turning around and sprinting for her life with Mati's hands wrapped around her neck. Very soon, she was covered in sweat, from the heat and the exertion but she kept running.

"The hole should be around here!" Mati cried but it was barely heard over the closing fire. One good thing about it was that Kaiya could now see where everything was, and she cried out as in relief as she saw the small hole, barely bigger than Mati as she had said; she skidded to a stop and pushed Mati through the hole. Looking back, her eyes widened as she saw the fast approaching flame, and her sweaty hair was blown back.

"Kaiya!" Mati screamed as Kaiya dived through the hole just as the fire passed her; down she rolled, crashing against the smooth wall as it took her spiralling into pitch dark. She could hear Mati screaming as she tumbled blindly and tried to call out to her but whenever she tried, she hit the wall hard and lost her breath. She tumbled for what seemed like forever, when in reality it was barely a minute, when she finally emerged into brilliant white light and thick air; she landed on her stomach, her right arm hanging behind her and her head lolling to the side.

"K-Kai…ya," Mati murmured from behind her and the teenager uttered a long low moan of pain as she shifted her body to lie on her back. The usually clear blue sky was now invisible behind a thick veil of smoke and Kaiya groaned as she struggled to sit up; looking around, she could see Mati lying on her side, her head bleeding above her ear.

"Mati," she managed to rasp as she hurriedly crawled to the girl's side. Hesitantly, she took the girl into her arms and lurched to her feet, staggering a few steps and then regaining her balance; around her animals and birds flocked around her, blocking her from seeing which way to escape the forest. In her arms, Mati began whimpering in pain, her eyes slowly closing.

"Move!" she bellowed at the animals and they all obliged; Kaiya felt heat on the back her neck and back, and she looked over her shoulder to see that the entire forest was now aflame. Her heart sagged as she saw the pitiful sight but was determined to save Mati; reeling, she progressed slowly forward until she finally reached the edge of the forest. She stood on the beginning of the open field, her eyes watering from the smoke and her lungs burning from excess use. Something dripped into her eye but she didn't have the energy to flick it away.

"Kai…" Mati murmured.

"Just hold on," Kaiya said, wondering if she meant herself and the child she held. Lurching forward, she stopped when she had walked at least one hundred metres; turning her eyes watered more as she saw that the forest was now turning to ash, and destroying the heaven-like home she had loved so much. Above the smoke, she could make out five flying machines, their capes billowing from the wind; a stream of fire was coming from three of them, reaching down to the plants below, and Kaiya cursed them as loud as she could. Gasping for breath and staggering under the energy it took to shout, she turned back and stumbled across the field. Something warm trickled down her back and she knew she had cut her shoulder during her fall; she didn't stop though, as Mati mattered more.

Hours passed, and Kaiya was about to drop from exhaustion; Mati still hadn't regained consciousness, and it was beginning to worry the Empath. She knew that the girl hadn't died but she was on the brink of slipping away; she needed to get to a medic, or at least somewhere someone could patch the girl up. Staggering along the dirt road, she thought she saw something on the horizon, something that resembled a town. Feebly, she tried to call out but by then her voice was gone; slowly, she sank to her knees, fatigue finally winning over her; the desperation in her kept her arms tucked around Mati.

"Just hold on," she whispered almost inaudibly to Mati as she fell on her side in a dead faint.

Kol ducked as a sharp dagger was thrown his way and he cringed as his Lord grabbed the back of his black shirt. He was hauled to his feet, and stared into the livid grey eyes of his liege.

"_What do you mean you lost her?_" he thundered. He threw Kol to the ground and then screamed in frustration. "I thought you had her, you imbecile!"

"W-we did!" Kol stuttered as he saw the pure venom in his eyes. "But, she escaped through one of the tunnels the dragon built and we lost her in the fire."

"So she's dead!" the Lord screeched.

"I don't know!" Kol yelled truthfully.

"_Then find out!_"

"Miss?"

Kaiya moaned as the voice penetrated through her barrier of sleep and grimaced as her head ached painfully; she couldn't open her eyes, they were so heavy, so she just sighed, her dry lips splitting when she parted them. She was gasping for air, as if her throat wouldn't let any past, and she flexed her fingers. Pain flared in her right shoulder and she cried out; tears sprang into her closed eyes and she felt them dribbling down the side of her face.

"She's awake!" someone yelled, the sound faint and fuzzy. She felt someone taking her hand and gasped as it hurt. She began struggling, weakly though, and screamed in pain; over her dry coughing she could someone trying to soothe her.

"Please, don't move! You're badly hurt." Kaiya sobbed in the back of her throat, and someone began stroking her forehead tenderly. "I'm not going hurt you, sweetie. Just relax and you'll be all right." Kaiya trusted the voice and she sighed, stopping her feeble movements and just listened to the voice. "Your friend is all right as well; she wasn't as badly hurt as you and she's awake. She comes in to see you every hour, just to make sure you won't leave her." The person stroked her face lovingly, and Kaiya felt herself drifting off to sleep. "She loves you very much, and she's so brave, just like you. We'll protect you and her until your strength has returned."

_It was very bright, Kaiya knew that for sure, and it was quiet; when she tested the quiet, it was like the light took her words away, leaving nothing but dullness and glare. She looked around and saw that she was standing in pure white, wearing nothing but a thin white dress. _

"_Ew," she said, pulling a face. "A dress."_

_Someone chuckled behind her and she whirled around, the dress billowing out unflatteringly. A dark figure stood before, wearing a cloak that covered his body; his face was handsome, and his blue hair hung down beside his face, framing it and covering the teardrop earring. He looked familiar and she frowned._

"_That statement was very like you," he said, his voice echoing. He chuckled as he stepped towards her, a metal hand falling from beneath the cloak as he held it out to her. _

"_Who are you?" Kaiya asked, glued to the whiteness. _

"_My name is not important, Kaiya," he said and she frowned._

"_Oh, you know mine but I'm not allowed to know yours."_

"_Folken," the man chuckled, smiling at her. "It's nice to see you, Kaiya."_

"_Hi," she said. "Nice to see you too. Where are we?" she asked, looking around again. Still nothing but whiteness and it hurt her eyes. Squinting she looked back at Folken to find her nose almost pressed into his chest. She looked up at him and saw the tenderness in his eyes, and she felt like crying staring into them; stubbornly, she clenched her jaw and pushed the threatening water works down._

"_This is a place you should not be," he said, a hidden warning in his deep voice. "This is a place for those who have completed their missions in life, and you are not anywhere near finished."_

"_My 'mission in life'?" Kaiya asked dryly. She laughed bitterly. "C'mon, that just makes you sound like an idiot. So, I'm dead?"_

"_Not quite," replied Folken, smiling at her. "You have to fight the tiredness, Kaiya," he said, reaching up with his skin-covered hand and stroking her hair. "You have to fight for yourself, for Mati, and for Van."_

_She scowled. "Why him?" she spat bitterly, staring up at him as his hand caressed her head gently. _

"_Because," was the mysterious reply._

"_That's not a proper answer," Kaiya snapped, frowning at him. _

"_You'll see," Folken said. Slowly bending down, he placed a warm kiss on her forehead and she gawked at him as he smiled ever so lovingly at her; he began to fade and she shivered when he was completely gone. Looking around, she felt lonely; she jumped when hands snaked around her shoulders and she looked up. She would have fainted but she gulped and reached up to touch the hands she had longed for._

"_Dad?" she rasped, staring into the soft brown eyes of her father. He smiled at her, and then kissed her forehead, next to the one Folken gave her. _

"_Hey, sweetie," he said, his voice echoing just as Folken's had. "How have you been?"_

"_Oh, dad," Kaiya breathed and turned around in his arms, hugging him tight. He laughed, the laugh she missed and she cried silently. "Things have been horrible," she whispered. "After you died, mom married this really horrible man." She sniffed. "He's so horrible; he used to beat me and he locked me in cupboards and boxes."_

"_I know, honey, I know. When Arisa died, she told me all about him, and how she had been wrong to marry him and leave you all alone with him. We watched daily as you drifted further away from your original self, and it was heart breaking. We tried to encourage you to be strong, all the time, and it seems to have worked; I could never have imagined just how strong you are."_

"_Daddy," she whispered, holding him tighter. He stroked her hair. "Where's mom? Is she here?"_

"_I'm right here, darling." Smooth and slender arms wrapped around her from behind and the Empath sighed feeling as if she could just stop caring now that she was back in her family's arms. "I'm so sorry for leaving you alone with that man," her mother whispered, kissing her head affectionately. "I should have seen the evil in him, and I should have listened to you when you said he was bad." She kissed her daughter's neck and shoulder over and over, as if trying to make up for all the kisses Kaiya had missed out on. _

"_It's all right," Kaiya muttered in her dad's chest. "I don't blame you, either of you."_

"_We're glad, Kaiya," her father said as his wife disappeared. "We're so proud of you, and we'll continue to help you, as long as you still love us." Kaiya watched in horror as he began to fade and she tried as hard as she could to keep him with her but it seemed impossible._

"_Dad!" she shouted, her voice dying as soon as it left her lips. "Mom! No, come back!" She whirled around and around, looking for them frantically. "No!" she screamed, and this time her voice echoed._

"_Hush," soothed a voice and arms wrapped around her from behind; one was metal, the other flesh._

"_Folken," she sobbed, turning around and grabbing the front of his cloak. "Bring them back! Please!" She knew her eyes were wide with desperation and sadness, but she couldn't help it; she'd finally gotten her parents back and then they were taken from her. _

"_I can't, Kaiya," he said, and she rested her warm forehead against his chest. "You have to go back now," he said, stroking the back of her head again. "Remember what you were told and everything that has happened will have not been in vain." She looked up at him and he smiled kindly; again, he bent and kissed her forehead and she fell into his arms as her surroundings fell away into darkness._

"Kaiya, please." She could hear someone sobbing, and someone squeezing her hand. "Please, you have to come back. I need you; you're my big sister."

Kaiya sighed softly, and then squeezed Mati's hand softly; the blind girl gasped and began crying Kaiya's name, rejoicing that she'd woken up. A few seconds later she felt something cool on her lips and she opened her mouth to let the liquid slide in; it refreshed her enough and she sighed, relaxing onto something soft.

"Kaiya," said the familiar soothing voice. "I need you to try and open your eyes, just for a bit." Kaiya swallowed and slowly shook her head. "Sweetie, I need you to try. Just try."

Kaiya nodded and slowly lifted her eyelids; well, at least one opened: the other stayed shut, as if it were held down by something. Bright light caused her eye to water, and she blinked it away; she could see shapes forming over her and she stared up at them. One was bright magenta, the other a dull red and she frowned.

"Kaiya!" she heard Mati cry in relief and the colourful shapes morphed into humans; she recognised Mati, her eyes wet with tears and another woman, whom she did not know. She had a green and a blue eye, and a beautiful face, even though she looked to be in her late forties; there was a maroon turban wrapped around her head, and from it flowed beautiful red locks. She smiled and Kaiya blinked.

"Morning, sweetie," she said in her soothing voice. "How are you feeling?"

Kaiya opened her mouth to reply but all that came out was a rough wheeze; coughing, she felt like a foot or a giant hammer was compressing her chest. She blinked and then frowned, wincing as she did so; the woman laughed and nodded.

"You damaged your eye," she said and Kaiya gasped. "No, not permanently or badly, you just scratched the eyelid and the skin above it. Also, your shoulder was cut pretty bad and your throat is probably feeling a bit raw, yes?" Kaiya nodded slowly. "That's understandable; you inhaled quite a bit of smoke, and I presume some embers as well." She laughed, a melodic sound. "Yes, I know it's quite a surprise to hear that but it's what happened." She laughed again, and stroked Kaiya's cheek slowly and calmly, staring at her with olive coloured eyes.

"Wh…" Kaiya coughed. "Wh…"

"Where?" Kaiya nodded; the woman smiled, stroking her cheek. "Travelling with us gypsies across Fanelia into Asturia. You've been out for two days." She smiled kindly and brushed away some loose strands. "We found you and your friend passed out in the middle of road and took you with us. Your friend there woke up after we bandaged her wound and demanded that she see you. You two have a strong bond."

"Yes we do," Mati said happily, sitting beside Kaiya on what she thought was a bed; it was actually a wagon with linen underneath her so she was comfortable. "She saved me from dying; she saved me from going insane with no human contact."

Kaiya smiled faintly and sighed, falling back to sleep. This time when she woke up, she was feeling better, and she noted that it was sunset; groaning, she sat up and cringed as her shoulder throbbed painfully. She looked down with her one uncovered eye and saw that she was top naked, so she reached back and found that there was a long scabbed scratch running across her shoulder; it was rough and she knew that it was also deep. Groaning, she clutched her throat and looked around; she wasn't moving, and there was a thin purple blind keeping her from view. Suddenly, it was pulled back and she stared at the young man, who int urn, blushed as he saw her nakedness and hastily closed the blind again.

"Oh, my Gaea!" she heard him whisper and she smirked, grabbed the sheet she lay under and wrapping it around her loosely.

"I'm covered now," she croaked, and she saw his outline stiffen; slowly, the blind was drawn back again and the youth looked at her apprehensively. He sighed with relief as he saw she was telling the truth, and smiled charmingly at her. She smirked back, staring at him with fascination; there was a long scar running across the right side of his face, beginning at his ear and running down across his cheek, and stopping just under the jaw. It was knotted and hideous, but it was his eyes that caught her attention; they were a pale gold and glowed somewhat. He smiled at her, and she saw that had he no scar, he'd be quite handsome.

"Hi," he said, his voice deep and smooth. His hair was like a fiery red main, tied back into a ponytail that fell over his shoulder; if she had to guess, she'd say that it reached his waist when out. "How are you feeling?"

"Peachy," she croaked, smirking at him.

"Well, no wonder," he said, vaulting up onto the wooden boards and siting at her feet. "You've been in the wars." He smiled at her and she could do nothing but smile back. "Ma said not to bother you but I just wanted to see if you were still asleep or ready for some dinner."

At the mention of food, Kaiya's stomach grumbled loudly and the youth laughed, a familiar sound, and nodded. "I'll take that as a 'yes, I'm hungry'." He leapt down from the wagon and was gone and Kaiya sighed, reaching up and fiddling with the bandage covering her right eye. She grimaced as she pressed down too hard and removed her hand, tightening the sheet around her. Looking around, she realised she was in a storage wagon, with crates stacked as high as the roof; there were sheets, clothing, boots, weapons even, and she frowned; what sort of gypsies were these? A few minutes later, the youth replied with a steaming bowl of soup and a few slices of bread.

He handed it to her and she fell on it almost immediately; she could hear him laughing at her as she spooned in the soup and scarfed the bread and when she was done, she looked up at him. He was smirking, his eyes glinting with amusement and then he took the empty bowl and spoon from her, setting them down beside him.

"Hungry, were we?" he quipped and she sent him a flat stare. "So, feeling better?"

"Much," Kaiya grunted. "Mati?"

"She's asleep," he replied, staring out across the darkening countryside. "Apparently, watching over you is tiring so Ma sent her to bed."

"Name?" Kaiya rasped, staring at his profile.

"Charn," he replied grinning at her. "And you're Kaiya, aren't you?" She nodded slowly, rotating her scratched shoulder. Hastily, he touched her shoulder and gave her a disapproving stare. "Don't do that," he said. "You'll hurt it. Ma said that you shouldn't use it for at best two days and then it should be fine and dandy, but you'll have a beautiful scar."

"Fine," she wheezed and stared at him, trying to tell him to take his hand off her shoulder. Upon receiving this message, he grinned sheepishly and took it away. He looked at the ground and then jumped when Kaiya scooted forward to sit beside him.

"You should get more sleep," he said sternly but she didn't even look at him; she was taking in the caravans. There were at least seven, all gathered around a fire, and she could see other gypsies sitting around in groups, talking, eating and playing music; there were dogs and other animals, and small children ran around after each other, laughing their heads off in exhilaration. Shakily, she eased herself down off the wagon, ignoring the protests of Charn, and began limping towards a particular wagon, where she could feel Mati's distinguishable feelings. She felt Charn following her and turned to look at him, but stopped when her shoulder ached. She stopped in front of the wagon and pulled back the blind, looking at the sleeping form of Mati.

Charn, standing next to her, opened his mouth to say something, but she pressed a finger to her lips, a faint smile pulling at the corners. She turned away and hobbled back to her own wagon, where she found the red haired woman from before looking around.

"There you are!" she cried in triumph, as if it was a game of hide-n-seek. "Charn, I thought you'd be with your sweetheart."

"I was just going, Ma," he said, stepping around Kaiya and giving the woman a peck on the cheek. "See ya, Kaiya." He added a wink and then wandered off, humming merrily.

"That boy," the woman sighed, sitting on the wagon edge. "He becomes more like his father every day." Kaiya regarded her carefully in the dimming light and shrugged mentally. "Oh, I'm Vars by the way, fortune-teller of this band of gypsies. Nice to finally meet you properly." Laughing, she shook Kaiya's hand and then turned it over so she could see her palm. "Huh, it seems that your hands are the only one's I cannot read." She looked up at Kaiya, being several inches shorter, and smirked. "Perhaps you are a gift from the Heavens," she stated lightly, and threw back her, roaring with laughter at her little 'joke'; too bad it was true, although she wasn't sure about the whole 'gift' thing.

"So, how are you feeling?" Vars suddenly said, her laughter abruptly cut off. She was staring at Kaiya, her eyes bright and piercing, like certain red ones.

"Better," she croaked, smiling. "Thanks to you."

"You're most welcome," Vars said, smiling. "It's not like I could just leave you and Mati on the ground, waiting to die, could I? That would be horrible, and not to mention a waste." She stroked Kaiya's cheek. "Pretty girls like you can get an awful lot of attention if you put yourself out there, you know, and we sure could do with some. Business has been slow these past few months, and we need some new talent. And your friend could be a useful part as well."

Kaiya frowned with her good eyebrow and leaned against the wagon. "Too much attention," she said slowly.

"No one will recognise you," Vars said, waving her hand dismissively. "At least, not when I'm done with you. You came from Fanelia right?" Kaiya nodded slowly. "Well, we're headed to Asturia, and no one there will recognise you, I'm sure." She paused. "But why would that bother you? Are you on the run from someone?"

Kaiya swallowed. "No," she replied nonchalantly. "Just don't want attention."

"Well, you're gonna get it any way. Like I said before, a pretty girl like you, and with those eyes, you'll soon attract a crowd among bachelors."

"What fun," Kaiya muttered dryly, and Vars laughed.

"Oh, you'll love the flattery, I know. Besides, you might meet your soul mate, and get married. I know that's what happened to me, and I can't wait to see him again. He lives in Asturia," she explained upon seeing Kaiya's confused expression.

"Why doesn't he…" she coughed as her voice caught, "travel with you?"

"He has a bad leg," Vars said with a shrug. "And he's lazy, to boot. So he stays in Asturia, keeping our house clean and ready for when I return."

"Sounds nice," Kaiya murmured, thinking of the forest she and Mati had lived in, and remembered how it had been destroyed; anger rose up and she fought to push it down.

"It is, as you'll soon see."


End file.
